No wonder West Ham boss Graham Potter was seen clinging on to poor Mateus Fernandes for dear life in the club’s official reveal video.
The Hammers gaffer’s job is hanging by a thread, and with a crunch clash against Nottingham Forest looming, Fernandes could be the man to help him out of a pickle.
While Soungoutou Magassa hasn’t signed in time for Sunday’s Premier League game, Fernandes should be ready to slot straight into midfield.
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Potter will need all the help he can get. Speculation over his future has reached fever pitch, with big names like José Mourinho and Ange Postecoglou already linked as potential replacements.
Both men are currently out of work, ticking David Sullivan’s usual criteria of “available,” so Claret & Hugh asked a top transfer insider if either could replace Potter in the hot seat. The response was blunt:
“None. Neither Ange nor Jose are on their radar at the moment—no chance.”
Of course, it would be easy to focus on the “at the moment” part, but there was no indication that either man is a serious option. Perhaps more tellingly, the idea of replacing Potter wasn’t dismissed outright—just the specific candidates.
For now, Potter’s future may rest on what happens at the City Ground. A win against Forest and he’ll likely buy himself a few more games. A defeat, however, could bring the axe that bit closer.